SAIRR

Some weeks ago the Institute published an online SAIRR Today column making the case that white South Africans may come to be seen as inadvertent beneficiaries of empowerment and affirmative action policy. The case made by the Institute was along the lines that cut off from state jobs and tenders, and often discriminated against in the public sector, many whites were forced to become more independent and entrepreneurial to maintain their living standards. This independence we described as a formidable economic asset. We cited substantial data on employment and incomes since 1994 to corroborate our case. Moneyweb columnist Denis Beckett has disagreed saying that ‘new racism, whether defined as AA or BEE or BBBEEE’ benefits no-one.

• Read More…

The British newspaper the Daily Mail has made headlines in South Africa for its coverage of President Jacob Zuma’s state visit to the UK. On his arrival in the country, the paper described Zuma as a ‘vile buffoon’ and a ‘sex-obsessed bigot with four wives and 35 children’. Zuma has responded by saying that the British Media is determined to protray Africans as ‘barbaric’ and cannot let go of colonial views towards the continent.

• Read More…

Will the current scandals affecting the Government result in the African National Congress (ANC) being punished in next year’s local government elections? Of the six metropolitan municipalities, namely Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth), Tshwane (Pretoria), eThekwini (Durban), and Ekurhuleni (East Rand), only one is not presently in the hands of the ANC. Cape Town is run by a coalition of parties led by the Democratic Alliance (DA).

• Read More…

This week a student at the University of Cape Town was arrested and detained in police cells for ‘insulting the president’ while a member of the opposition was thrown out of Parliament for doing the same. Both of these incidents are welcome, and the extensive media coverage they have received even more so, in that they might alert many complacent South Africans to the culture of political impunity and intolerance taking root in Government and the ANC.

• Read More…
• (1)

Deservedly, Pravin Gordhan’s budget has been widely praised. But a fundamental question arises: does the country get value for money from a government which appropriates an increasing slice of GDP? Here is what John Kane-Berman wrote in today's edition of Business Day:

• Read More…

John Kane-Berman has resumed his column in Business Day. The edition of 15th February 2010 the follows below:

• Read More…

Media reports suggest that the police have beaten and tortured a number of people while hunting for ‘community leaders’ in Balfour in Mpumalanga. This may be an early indication of how the ANC plans to deal with grass roots threats to its political hegemony in South Africa.

• Read More…

The South African Institute of Race Relations calls upon the General Council of the Bar, which has already objected in strong terms to the appointment of state official Mokotedi Mpshe as an acting judge, to bring an urgent action to have this appointment set aside.

• Read More…

One of the largest and most comprehensive statistical breakdowns of local government performance to date was released by the South African Institute of Race Relations this week.

• Read More…

By the end of 2007 it had become clear that Jacob Zuma would become South Africa’s president. It appeared at the time that one of his stronger attributes as president would be his leadership ability. This was an ability he had demonstrated on a number of occasions in political spheres ranging from post-1994 KwaZulu-Natal to peace negotiations in central Africa. However with every passing week he seems to be less and less able to exercise effective leadership over his party and his government.

• Read More…
• (1)

White South Africans are quick to complain that affirmative action and black economic empowerment policies have stymied their career opportunities and chances of economic advancement in South Africa. Curiously, however, a review of income and employment indicators for the country does not bare this out. Rather there is now some evidence that the white community may turn out to be an inadvertent beneficiary of the Government’s various empowerment and affirmative action policies.

• Read More…
• (3)

Advocates of ‘representivity’ will be up in arms to learn that none of South Africa’s top three sporting codes is living up to the ideal of a perfect ‘racially representative’ society. A review of South Africa’s most recent cricket, rugby, and soccer squads reveals that not one of South Africa’s race groups makes up the ‘correct’ proportion of any national team. The fact that the general public appears not to be bothered gives the lie to the oft asserted claim that our society should strive to be ‘representative’.

• Read More…

The South African Institute of Race Relations has warned in an article on its website that there may indeed be terror threats to the soccer World Cup.

• Read More…

The attack by Cabindan separatists on Togo’s soccer team at the current Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Angola has created some controversy about safety surrounding the soccer World Cup to be staged in South Africa later this year. A number of analysts and newspaper editorials have dismissed concerns at terror attacks in South Africa. Soccer authorities have called the idea ‘stupid’ and one newspaper even went as far as to suggest it was ‘racist’. However there is some evidence to suggest that a risk does exist.

• Read More…
• (2)

Listen to Frans Cronje and others discussing the 2009 matric results on Classic Business on Classic FM.

• Read More…